This invention relates generally to vacuum syrupers or filling machines of the general type shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,543,788 and 3,990,487 issued to Malcolm W. Loveland or in Battinich, U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,023. Those prior art machines are of relatively low speed and have filler valves manipulated by multipoint stars such as that illustrated in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,487. While the star drive arrangement for the filler valves is adequate for low speed operation, it becomes noisy and produces fatigue failures in the star points as machine rotational speeds increase.
One object of the present invention is to provide improved means for manipulating a filling valve of the type illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,487 at high bowl speeds for filling in the order of 600 cans per minute.